Minnesota Vikings: Head coaching rumors heating up

Experience or someone who is up and coming; this is a legitimate question the front office has to decide on when selecting the next head coach.

Rumors are floating around as to who will be the next head coach for the Minnesota Vikings, but all anyone should care about is who should be the best fit. The answer is someone with experience.

Sources say that the Vikings are looking heavily at Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase as the possible replacement to Leslie Frazier. Gase lead a Denver Broncos offense that was packed with punch, scoring at will at times, but that offense did have one special weapon: Peyton Manning.

Do the Vikings really want to gamble with a guy like Gase, who had great success at Denver, but can attribute much of that success to future Hall of Fame quarterback Manning? Remember Brad Childress and when the Vikings replaced Mike Tice with him, the guy that supposedly was an offensive mastermind? I do, but that move backfired as Childress’ system failed in Minnesota.

Childress’ system worked in Philadelphia because he was coaching under Andy Reid, a guy who knows how to run an effective offense, and the system there worked. Minnesota will likely have to rebuild and do they really want to trust a guy like Case to work with the young talent on their offense, develop a new quarterback to fit his system? Manning had a high influence in Denver’s offense, and one has to question if Gase really did that great of a job there.

There are too many question marks with a guy like Case in my opinion.

The team has expressed interest in Darrell Bevell, a former Vikings offensive coordinator for the head coaching position.(Photo Credit: (USATSI)

A guy like Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrel Bevell would be a more suitable fit for the Vikings at head coach because he worked under Childress as the team’s offensive coordinator previously. He had Brett Favre to lead the charge, but after moving to Seattle, he revamped that offense and helped make Russel Wilson a superstar. Someone like Bevell could be a solid replacement to Frazier because he will have an opportunity to develop a quarterback in the same way he developed Wilson. This could be a win-win for the Vikings because Bevell was previously part of the organization, the players in both Minnesota and Seattle love the guy, and he has a system that seems to work great in Seattle.

Seattle is a defense heavy team, so the biggest question about Bevell would be his overall offense and if he could turn the Vikings into an offensive powerhouse or not. The Vikings don’t have a defense to brag home about, but there are players on the offense that a guy like Bevell could turn into superstars, hence the offense would carry enough of the weight to win games.

The Vikings would have a lot of upside with the guy as head coach because he can develop players, but the Vikings are a lot different than Seattle, and depending on which route they take in the draft would likely determine Bevell’s success as head coach with the Vikings.

This is why I propose like I have all season long the Vikings go big and sign a coach that has been a winner in the past. Someone with a Superbowl ring or tons of NFL experience that is out of work right now. Guys like Brian Billick, Jon Gruden or even Mike Zimmer with the Bengals, a guy who has been around for 20 seasons, coaching at many spots with the Cowboys, Falcons and Bengals.

The Vikings have gambled with coaches before and it hasn’t worked out. If they want to win, an experienced coach would be the right route to take.

Related

They should just offer Urban Meyer a 6-10 year contract at 5 Million + per year. All these coordinators are fine but the Vikings really need a Head Coach with experience at winning both regular season and post season games.

Prux

What has Bevell done? Pathetic offense here that he was partially responsible for. Since leaving he has taken with him to Seattle, Tavaris Jackson, Sidney Rice and traded for another problem, Percy Harvin. We thank him for taking those players, especially Jackson. I don’t know how much he had to do with taking that loser to Seattle after years of miserable play here. Rice had one good year when Favre was throwing him the ball, Seattle can keep him. Harvin, obviously a talent but I liked our end of the trade much more, thanks again Bevell, stay in Seattle or even better yet go somewhere other than MN to be a head coach, preferably Detroit!

Taylor Hansen

Please dont hire an OC where their entire notoriety comes from the field general manning calling plays on the field. That kind of move would just be flat out stupid.

BARusss05

You can’t be serious!!! Brad Childress was NOT a good coach. First-terrible, extremely predictable play-calling his first couple years. Then he had Brett Favre which nearly landed them a Super Bowl win until…yes, that’s right…too many men in the huddle. We just weren’t destined to win that game against the Saints. Childress’ last year-lost complete control of the team!!!

As far as coach-DO NOT hire Bevell, Horton, nor Gase. Bevell is the type of guy that just stays an assistant and never becomes a successful head coach. Yes, Seattle has a great offense, but Bevell has the right guys to be successful. This is definitely a huge factor for any coach. The players must be talented enough to run a specific offense/defense. Horton-simply not successful wherever he ends up. Gase- too young, plus Manning runs the offense. Believe you me, I could look like a genius with Manning as my QB.

The Vikings should strongly consider the following: Mike Zimmer, Jack Del Rio, or Ken Whisenhunt. I am leaning toward Zimmer. He has been successful everywhere he has went and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. We need a coach who will verbalize himself, instead of standing on the sidelines thinking about his personal life. We have had too many coaches like this. Anyone of the three mentioned can build a solid Vikings D and use the talent on offense to at least be within the top 12 or so. If the right coach is chosen, don’t be surprised to see the Vikings as a STRONG Super Bowl contender within 3 years. The talent is there…it just needs to be coached.

Young

The reason why chilly failed is because he let go of some high profile players and kept the ones Minnesota wanted gone. When he was here, we were almost always at the top of the division. Was some of the best defense I’d seen, although the pass defense was horrible it never was really that good to begin with. But the offense always looked like it was getting better, except the final year when he let go of moss and decided not to draft a QB to learn under favre. Other than that I loved when chilly was coach, but maybe his approach to the game is what cost him the team…

brett

well, there is no motion to second. but it is a fact that childress failed. Bevell or Jack Del Rio are the two guys probably getting the heaviest consideration and rightly so.

Charlee Dollens

Couldn’t agree more…and get rid of that offensive coach and GM too!

Jim Powell

Childress failed? Maybe during his last year with the Moss fiasco. But his record, 6-10, 8-8, 10-6, 12-4. I certainly wouldn’t call that failing. I know most people hated him.. but very few realize he actually did pretty well overall. He took Travaris Jackson to the playoffs followed by taking the Vikings to the NFC Championship with Brett Favre.